Electric trap.



G. S. RIGGS. ELECTRIC TRAP.

APPLIUATION FILED 11511.24, 1908.

913,053. Patented Feb. 23, 1909 2 SHEETS-SHEET wihwauo abbuuq G. Si RIGGS.

ELECTRIC TRAP.

APPLmA'nen FILED MAR. 24, 1908.

913,053. Patented Feb. 23, 1909.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2. E s

amutoz GEORGE amass, or MABLE, OREGON.

ELECTRIC TRAP.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed March 24, 1908.

Patented Feb. 23, 1909:

Serial No. 423,030.

To all whom it may concern..-

Be it known that I, Gnonon S. .lticos, a citizen of the United States, residing at Mable, in the county of Lane and State of Oregon, have invented certain new and useful improvements in Electric Traps, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to traps, and more particularly to traps suitable for catching rats and similar rodents, and has for. its ob ject to provide an electrical means for killing such animals.

Another object is to provide a structure having mechanism arranged for removing the bodies of electrocuted animals.

Another object is to provide such a trap which will always be ready for operation.

Another object is to rovide such a trap which will be arranged to break the electrical circuit connected therewith, after each operation of the trap and which will complete the circuit when a rodent enters the trap.

ther objects and advantages will be apparent from the following description, and it will be understood that changes in the specific structure shown and described ma be madewithin the scope of the claims an that any suitable materials maybe used without de arting from the spirit of the invention.

n the drawin s forming a portion of this specification, and in which like numerals of reference indicate similar parts in the several views, Figure 1 is a sectional view of the trap laterally therethrough, Fig. 2 is a cross sec tional view of the trap, Fig. 3 is a horizontal sectional view of the tra Fig. 4 is a detail sectional View through t e clearing mechanism and electrocuting means, Fig. 5 is a front view of the trap. 7

Referring to the. drawings, there is shown a-trap comprising a box portion having walls 10, roof ortion 11 a door 13 located midway of one of the walls, and an inclined entrance board 13. Midway of the box portion there is a horizontal platform 14 located cen-' trally of the box and extending rearwardly from the door 13 with its edges in s aced renwardly lation with the adjacent walls 10. of the door 13 the platform 14 is recessed the Width of its upper face as shown at 15, and a porous fabric 16 is embedded in the recess, said fabric being intended to be saturated with water, to moisten the feet of a rodent stepping thereon, the purpose of which moisture will be subsequently indicated.

to the binding post 27, as shown.

of the tra its lower ed inwardly of the recess 15 there is a metallic conductor plate 17 secured upon the platform 14, said plate extending inwardly half the length of the platform 14 and having connected thereto a wire 18 leading to a binding ost 19 located in the top portion 11 of the OK, as shown.

Pivotcd at the rear portion of the platform 14 there is a plate 19 extending forwardly from its pivot and having its free edge disposed in spaced relation with the rear edge of the plate17, being held yieldably slightly above the. latforin 14 by means ofsprings 20 dispose thereunder at its opposite sides. A wire 21 is attached to thcplate 19 and leads to a binding post 23 engaged in the roof portion 11 adjacent to the post 19'. It will be seen that when the bindlng posts 19 and 23 are connected with the opposite poles of an electrical. circuit, any rodent em tering the trap will traverse the fabric 16, its feet thus being dampened, and upon placing its fore feet u on the plate 19,-its rear feet being 11 on t e plate 17, an electrical current wil pass through the body. of the animal and accomplish its death, if the strength of the current be sufficient. Disposed beneath the free edge of the plate 19 there is a contact late 25 having a wire 26 connected therewith and extending "to a lbinding post 27 located in the roof 11 of the ox. and extends therefrom to one pole of a motor 29 arranged in engagement with a clearin mechanism subse uently to be described? A wire 30 is carrie from the opposite ole of the motor to a binding post located a 'akgent 'ait hook 32 issuspended from the roof l1 inwardl of the box and over the inner end (if.

the atforrn 14, behind which there is 10- catec a vertical mirror 33 extending across the rear of the platform 14 as shown; The mirror is held by engagement in grooves 34 formed in strips 35 one of which is secured upon the inner portion of the roof 11 and the other su porter at its ends upon the ad acent we] 5 10.

A pendent swinging door 40 is pivoted to the roof portion 11 extending longitudinally e being in spaced relation wit one longitu inal edge of the platform 14. .A clearing mechanism D is located beneath the platform .14, and comprises a base member supporting a motor 29 engaged with a series of gears 43 operating a shaft 44 A Wire 28 is secured to the plate 19 extending vertically adjacent to the inner end of the platform 14, with its end portion. slightly above said platform. A clearing arm 44 extends horizontally from the upper end of the shaft 44, and is arranged to move laterally across the platform 14 and close to the surface, therefore when the shaft 44 is rotated, to sweep any object lying thereupon beneath the swinging door 40 which ob ect thus falls into the space between the platform and the adjacent side wall 10. A partition 45 is secured within the box adjacent to the opposite edge of the platform 14, the lower edge of the partition being spaced a ove the platform 14 to allow the passage '0; founder of the clearing arm 44.

t will be seen that a rodent entering the l r 13 will have its image reflected in the m rror 33, which will seem like another aniniml and thus reassure the one entering. Crossing the fabric 16 the feet of the animal will become Wetted thus making an effective contact upon the plates 17 and '19. As the animal steps upon the plate 19 it will repeive the force of any current which may be transmitted thereto by means of the wires 18 and 21, the shock of which if sufficiently severe will kill the animal. The weight of the animal upon the plate 19 will press that prising a chamber member, said chamber member comprising a front portion having a door formed therein, rear and side walls, base and roof portions, said chamber member having secured therein midway of its height a ilatform extending inwardly of sai chain er member from said door, the sides of said platform being in spaced relatio with said side portions, a recess ex tending laterally across said platform adjaccnt to said door, moist material contained in said recess, a plate secured to said platform inwardly of said recess, a second plate secured pivotally to the inner edge of said platform, the o posite edge of said last named plate being eld yieldably in spaced relation above said platform, positive and negative electrical connections respectively with said plates, a contact plate disposed beneath. said second named plate, positive and negative connectioirt; with said second named late and said contact plate respective y, a motor in circuit with each of said last named plates, said second named plate being arranged to be depressed into contact with said contact plate under the weight of an animal to close an electrical circuit throu h the said motor, a vertical shaft revolulfiy mounted at the inner end plate downwardly into contact with the late 25, thus completing a circuit between 1the motor 29 and the binding posts 3] and made between said posts and an electrical source, the clearing mechanism 1) will be operated. The clearing arm 14' will thus be brought to bear against the carcass so as to pass it throu h the swinging door over theadjacent or go of the platform 14 into 4 the space therebeneath;

What-is claimed .is: 1. In an animal trap comprising a housing having a door therein and a iloor inwardly 27 so that when proper connections are l and arranged to swing across said platform l l l l portion extending slightly above the platorni, a clearing arm secured to said shaft in close proximity to the surface thereof under rotation of said shaft, 0 erative c0nnections between said shaft anr said motor, a pendent door pivoted to the roof portion,

vertically above one of the side ed es of said 100 mirror extending lateral y of said-platform at its inner end, and a bait holding means 105 of said door, a on-tact plate located inlocated above said platform.

wardly of said door, a second contact plate spaced inwardly of said first named plate, a

pivoted plate dis osed in yieldable spaced 1 relation over sai second. named plate, 'a motor carried by said trap, a rotating arm disposed to sweep closely over said hrst 3. The combination with an animal trap l of spaced contact plates and a pivotr '1 plate disposed in yieldably spaced relation over the adjaeen 1 be depressed into engagement therewith by the weight of an animal thereu )Ol'l, a carcass named plate and said pivoted plate, operl removing mechanism carried )y said trap,

ative connections between said motor and said arm, ser es electricalconnections between said pivoted plate, said second named plate and said motor, series electrical con-- 1 nections between said first named plate and said pivoted plate, said ivoted plate being adapted to be depressed )y the weight of an animal against said second named contact plate, and a foot moistening moans disl posed outwardly of said first named )late. l

2. An article of the class describe comiseries electrical connections between said lpivoted plate, and the adjacent contact 115 of. said platfprm and having its upper end i t contact plate and adapted to GEORGE S. RIGGS. r 

